It may have looked like Hometown, U.S.A., but the “Midwest Street” backlot at Burbank's Warner Brothers Studios offered a diverse array of cosmopolitan food and wine options during the 19th annual “Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters” on Saturday.
The huge benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation seemed to call for the resources of a small city. Some 1,400 guests converged on the outdoor venue, whose streets were lined with a seemingly endless array of more than 700 silent-auction items plus tasting stations operated by 67 California winemakers and 45 chefs from around the country. The live auction, conducted by Dawnmarie Kotsonis, was one of the largest of any event in Southern California, with 45 lots that included a trip to Antarctica, a Los Cabos trip for 10, and rare wines.Over the years, the fund-raiser has produced a bonanza for cystic fibrosis research and care, netting $1.5 million last year alone and upping the take to $1.6 million this year. The sheer numbers involved might have done in a lesser production team, but the evening—organized by event co-chair and founder Allen Balik; his wife, Barbara, director of major gifts for CFF; and Hillary Harris, Warner Brothers' director of special events, aided by 200 volunteers—flowed as smoothly as the flavored dipping olive oil given to guests as they left.
And that was despite some unexpected challenges. Because the charity was working within a tight budget, the WB special events team installed and struck the event in half its usual five-day window. And the day's record-breaking heat—temperatures climbed to 98 degrees—prompted Harris and producer Katherine Caulfield to turn on a dime to protect the food and wine from spoiling. At the last minute, Caulfield ordered huge pallets of dry and regular ice to keep wines and perishables at the correct temperature, and she worked with the Baliks to reconfigure the silent-auction tables and tasting stations so that the tables offering trips and other unmeltable items were located in the sunniest areas and those with expensive wines were kept in the shade.
As guests entered, each picked up a plastic plate and one of 1,500 wine glasses donated by Riedel. From there, they cruised the offerings, sampling such delectables as venison loin with Barolo wine cherry sauce and polenta from Celestino Drago of Drago Restaurant and croque monsieur from David Myers of Comme Ça. Wineries included Hitching Post, Crocker & Starr, TOR Kenward Family, and Vineyard 29—all of which managed to beat the heat, Harris said. Planners prevented open-seating chaos by assigning guests to tables topped with boxes of pineapples, grapes, and bananas donated by Dole.
Of course, even the organizers' best efforts couldn't alleviate the sultry evening air. “The big ho ho of the night was the donated heaters [from Andy Gump] we wouldn't need,” Harris said.
The huge benefit for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation seemed to call for the resources of a small city. Some 1,400 guests converged on the outdoor venue, whose streets were lined with a seemingly endless array of more than 700 silent-auction items plus tasting stations operated by 67 California winemakers and 45 chefs from around the country. The live auction, conducted by Dawnmarie Kotsonis, was one of the largest of any event in Southern California, with 45 lots that included a trip to Antarctica, a Los Cabos trip for 10, and rare wines.Over the years, the fund-raiser has produced a bonanza for cystic fibrosis research and care, netting $1.5 million last year alone and upping the take to $1.6 million this year. The sheer numbers involved might have done in a lesser production team, but the evening—organized by event co-chair and founder Allen Balik; his wife, Barbara, director of major gifts for CFF; and Hillary Harris, Warner Brothers' director of special events, aided by 200 volunteers—flowed as smoothly as the flavored dipping olive oil given to guests as they left.
And that was despite some unexpected challenges. Because the charity was working within a tight budget, the WB special events team installed and struck the event in half its usual five-day window. And the day's record-breaking heat—temperatures climbed to 98 degrees—prompted Harris and producer Katherine Caulfield to turn on a dime to protect the food and wine from spoiling. At the last minute, Caulfield ordered huge pallets of dry and regular ice to keep wines and perishables at the correct temperature, and she worked with the Baliks to reconfigure the silent-auction tables and tasting stations so that the tables offering trips and other unmeltable items were located in the sunniest areas and those with expensive wines were kept in the shade.
As guests entered, each picked up a plastic plate and one of 1,500 wine glasses donated by Riedel. From there, they cruised the offerings, sampling such delectables as venison loin with Barolo wine cherry sauce and polenta from Celestino Drago of Drago Restaurant and croque monsieur from David Myers of Comme Ça. Wineries included Hitching Post, Crocker & Starr, TOR Kenward Family, and Vineyard 29—all of which managed to beat the heat, Harris said. Planners prevented open-seating chaos by assigning guests to tables topped with boxes of pineapples, grapes, and bananas donated by Dole.
Of course, even the organizers' best efforts couldn't alleviate the sultry evening air. “The big ho ho of the night was the donated heaters [from Andy Gump] we wouldn't need,” Harris said.
A hot night for a benefit in Burbank
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
About 1,400 guests converged at Warner Brothers.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
The LA Allstars band performed.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
The silent auction included 700 items.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
The event, which included a huge live auction with 45 lots, raised $1.6 million.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
Guests meandered with plastic plates and Riedel wine glasses.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
The local heat wave caused event organizers to scramble to keep food cool, even at night.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
